When her tears were more than her words, her courage less than that of her quirk. She met her bully, with blonde hair, ruddy eyes, and an enlarged ego that seemed to increase tenfold once applause was sent its way, it was a one-time thing, she was just going to play along with boys her age, perhaps younger since she had no one else, and while most of them were against it, a sweet green-haired boy insisted, holding her hand and bringing her with him.

It was discouraging to be there after the severe disagreement, but, she still followed, she was the only girl with four boys.

That day, was the first and last time she was ever going to reside in that group.

They were far rowdier and carefree than her, proudly walking in the street while she and the other boy trailed behind them, and then they stepped inside a convenience store, she watched them buy stuff, all might items, she observed their smiles upon tearing it open right outside the shop, grinning in delight.

The blonde kid was far happier than any one of them, denying his now treasured object any spying eyes, protecting it, and retrieving it inside his pocket. She felt out of place for some reason.

Then, they played hero and villain, like any other kid she'd seen, she had to be the one rescued, and she oddly delighted that. The green-haired boy was a villain, while the blonde one was a hero and she was the civilian who needed saving. It was a fun pastime, her heart was beating fast watching the two quarrel until the greenette got harshly pushed down. She got up and quickly asked him if he was okay, it did not please the others.

"You are supposed to ask me if I'm okay, not him!" The blonde sneered at her, she frowned, lowering her gaze, muttering, "Was I supposed to? But you weren't hurt." She innocently replied, "Even villains are humans like us, they get hurt too, you know."

"Do you have a crush on Deku or something? Because you sound stupid." He argued, she shared brief eye contact with the kid, a sad expression now on her small face.

She doesn't know what to say.

"I think I like him more." She hesitantly answered, "You don't know how a hero should act, they are never mean to anyone."

It bothered him.

Then came a hard shove.

That was what she recalled, seeing the all might plushie at the store safely tugged at the corner, almost cleared out, the shop had a handful of customers at this time, nowadays, finding hero merch was common and it got a lot of attention and profit. All might has never been her favorite, not after her mind associated that bitter memory with meeting her bully, then the green-haired boy, Deku, she never got herself to know him better, maybe she was upset, angry with how things flipped upside down. Or she just resented him for sticking and suffering around those mean kids, it made her sad thinking about him, two victims of bullying.

"Oh! um..." she faced a timid voice, finding her greenette classmate standing before her shying away from direct eye contact, she turned away, picked the item from the toy section, and prepared to depart, "you're taking that...?" inquired the boy, particularly no feelings stuck out to her she felt nothing towards him, it was neutral, leaning a little towards dislike from time to time.

"Yes, did you want it?" she asked, ready to hand it to him, but he hastily disagreed, "N-no! It's fine! I've never seen you here, buying all might stuff..." he awkwardly replied, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I usually don't but because of someone, I have to," she responded.

His eyes light up, and he flashes her a tiny smile, "is it a gift?"

She quickly shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows and narrowing her eyes at the image of having her bully as a kind of friend, "no, I just gotta get it for my notebook." he questioned her with a puzzled look, "as an accessory?" she grinned, faking enthusiasm. She couldn't deal with any queries right now. She tries to leave but is stopped again by a curious boy who asks, "Are you and kacchan... in a relationship?" she quickly answers in a bitter tone.

"No." she glanced at him and took off.

'Am I crazy?'

The next morning she approached him, demanded her notebook, and got back a crude response asking for a little something, she had gotten a plushie but, would he even want it? A grown boy who was a bully who would want something soft that she went out of her way to get with her pocket money, to her liking, he wouldn't, a hardened guy like him can't appreciate it.

"Unless you give me something precious of yours, I won't give it back." he arrogantly declared, further irking her, her eyes stung her throat tightened, and the urge to slap him amplified.

"I don't get it, what do you want?" she mumbled, irritated. As if she would ever willingly hand him her most treasured item with ease.

"Hmm, preferably something black." he shrugged. He knew that she knew what he was talking about, but she acted obliviously. "A mask?"

He moved forward, and softly whispered, "Black underwear loopy, remember that?"

She immediately pushed him back, ignoring his wicked laugh and sitting down, recoiling from stress and anger and glaring at his taunting form, how long could she go without her notes.?

At lunch break, she eagerly requested some of her classmates to lend her their book but, nobody was ready to hand it off and hope for the best, did he seriously threaten them not to give her any help?

At last, she stopped in front of her final choice, Deku.

She stopped him as the entire class emptied, even their bully, so it was just the two of them, alone, together. She stops at his desk gulping down her concerns.

"Can you lend me your science notebook, I promise I'll return it as soon as possible." she spoke pleadingly, he nervously stared at her, "Um..." without hearing his answer, she slouched, speaking a little louder, "don't tell me Katsuki threatened you too?" he bowed his head down, looking up regretfully and confirming, "kacchan's been telling everyone not to help you with anything, but..." he finished, voice latched with sorrow. Their gaze connected, and she fought the urge to tear her eyes away from him.

"Is that why you were getting him that plushie...?"

She momentarily ceased thinking it through, then gently uttered.

"I wasn't thinking about it, I just bought it impulsively. Besides, not that he will return my notes either way, even if I gave it to him before he cracks up." she honestly replied, correcting her posture and stepping back. Now aware even he might not be able to help her.

"But- you got it for him..." he softly mumbled to himself, lowering his eyes to his plain neat desk, hands gripped in his laps, blinking at his held fist.

"I don't get it, why are you so upset about it?" she mused, observing his expression alter and diffuse. "I-I'm not! I promise, just, do you regret meeting me?" he suddenly surprised her with the query, she watched him shift nervously in his seat avoiding her eyes like it meant something horrible, "No, I don't. Actually, I don't think I've made amends with you." she glared at him.

"You should have stayed away from kacchan... I hated it when you stuck around with him and his friends."

He tearfully glanced at her face wanting her to carry on but she turned her face from him and clutched the straps of her bag in her fingers, saying one last thing before ending their short conversation, "It's okay if you don't wanna help, no problem, I'll see you tomorrow."

She leaves. The sting of shame doesn't take long to invite itself in.

The school campus is brimming with students, tall, short, and alike, striding their merry way home, she was one of them, gaze cast down and attending to the dirt crushing underneath her school shoes, it was breezy for a moment and then it wasn't, the light slowly veering orange. A heavy arm suddenly grabs her neck from behind, prompting her to avert her gaze to the familiar person holding her neck in a tight squeeze.

"You're coming out rather late, what were you doing with Deku?" The grumpy raspy voice of her tormentor sounded near her ear, she shot him a scowl, about to plop his arm back to his side, however, he resettled his grasp and further leaned over to her cheeks.

"You could have my notes if you are so desperate." He mocked, snickering at her miserable endeavor.

"Yeah sure, why don't you just give me my notebook back." She acknowledged.

"What if I burned it and threw it away, you still want it back?" He muttered, drawing closer to her his arm now slithering to her waist, just low enough to clasp her hipbone and smiling at her startled reaction.

Without saying anything she ripped off his hand, removed it from her body, and jabbed it to his left side, rejecting his terrorizing grimace and quickly stepping away from his reach, trekking towards the entrance.

"If you are not going to tell me then I'm going to ruin it, and I won't give you mine either, not like anyone else is going to entrust their belongings to you." He shouted, knowing where to pull her strings.

Even though she wouldn't admit it, she needed it before tomorrow.

She thinks for a quick duration, examining for any tell-tale signs of dishonesty or animosity, she forces herself to oblige, she couldn't get reprimanded for something fixable. Hesitantly, she replied.

"Fine." She swiftly made her way towards him, defensively folding her arms near her chest and disapprovingly staring at his arrogant face.

"What's your deal with that nerd?"

"I asked him if he would give me his notes, that's all, plus we met at a shop yesterday, and nothing happened, I was just looking for something to buy." She responds.

He doubtingly stares at her, soaking in the slightest shift in her movement, her face, and his gut told him she wasn't lying right under his nose, he hums, pulling his bag off his shoulder he quickly takes his book out, hands it to her, but not before lifting it out her reach.

"You better not damage it, or pour any drop of water, juice, anything, think you can do that?" He boasts, chancing to get a 'yes' out of her lips. She frigidly nods, lips pulled taut.

He smiles, content with his plan.

"Good. You better come to school tomorrow, don't even try to get me into trouble for getting absent with my notes."

"Okay! Geez, you have too many restrictions on your list, why the demand?"

"You should know who's in control right now, you say anything more and I'll snatch it back." She silently groans, mentally mourning her desperate decisions.